


tastes like peppermint

by Ethereally



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Challenges, Chocolate Exchange, Homecoming, M/M, Road Trip, Valentine's Day, White Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 10:34:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9604277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ethereally/pseuds/Ethereally
Summary: After giving Genji a handmade box of chocolate for Valentine's Day, Jesse dares Genji to one-up him. Luckily for Jesse, Genji won't back away from a challenge.





	

The box is square and glossy, tied up with a ribbon that matches the color of Jesse’s serape. Genji opens it to find an assortment of chocolate truffles with a dusting of matcha powder on top: they are differently shaped and sized, and one has broken in half like some strange moon rock. Jesse drawls, “They’re homemade,” and Genji nods, a flush creeping onto his cheeks. 

He has the sudden mental image of Jesse crouched over a stove, painstakingly measuring and cooking and tasting the candies until they are just perfect. Jesse is known for his precise aim and unflinching shot. Genji can only imagine that he must have been the same while making these, meticulously examining the recipe and scouring the stores of Gibraltar for the best possible ingredients. Genji glances up to gape at Jesse, and is suddenly thankful for his faceplate. It is a blessing that his boyfriend cannot see how his lips are parted and how red he is, or he’d never hear the end of Jesse’s teasing. It is a few seconds before Genji can muster up the ability to speak. “Thank you.” 

Jesse chuckles. “That all you’ve got ter’ say? Not gonna give it a shot?”

“Uh, yeah,” Genji mutters. He unlatches his faceplate and sets it on the coffee table in front of them. Jesse leans back on the couch as Genji reaches out slowly for a piece of candy, taking care not to get the matcha powder between the metal joints of his fingers. He examines the small truffle before popping it into his mouth. 

It is a little lumpy, but melts on his tongue. The bitter flavor of matcha is prominent but not overflowing, swirling with the milky taste of white chocolate, strong and sweet the way he likes it. Genji’s eyes light up with glee and he turns to Jesse, still blushing. “Thank you,” he says, the flush on his face creeping back. “It tastes wonderful.” He reaches out and pops another one into his mouth, chewing and swallowing it quickly. Jesse grins. 

“Took me a few tries. Definitely worth it.” 

Genji nods, rolling the truffle around on his tongue, savoring how it feels warm and sweet without being cloying, thinking about just how much it tastes like _Jesse_. “I cannot hope to match this,” he suddenly blurts out. They had decided to exchange lovers’ gifts in a manner that would combine both their cultures: Jesse would give Genji chocolates on Valentine’s Day as was customary in the United States, while Genji would wait until White Day to return the favor like most men did in Japan. He hadn’t been sure of what to expect from Jesse, but he is certainly not disappointed. 

Jesse raises a bushy eyebrow. “Why don’t we call it a challenge? Unless you aren’t up to the task.”

It doesn’t take a split second for Genji to answer. “I accept.”

 

Jesse had the advantage of having five months, two weeks and three days before Valentine’s to plan out what he was doing for Genji, and that didn’t even count the time they’d spent dancing around each other before deciding to date. He might have been dealt a lesser hand, but that has never stopped him from striving to defeat the odds. As his childhood hero Naruto would have said, “Believe it.” 

Making Jesse handmade chocolate himself is out of the question. Partly because Jesse did it first, but also because Genji knows that standing in front of a warm stove for hours on end will only cause him to overheat. The last thing he wants is a lecture from Angela about unsafe romantic practices. (Especially not after the last time when he’d shown up at her office with several panels of armor ripped out and his wiring shredded to pieces by Jesse’s hand, but _that_ incident had been completely worth it.) 

His idea will require some forethought and planning, which Genji is prepared to do for Jesse’s sake. Genji silently books both him and Jesse four days off from March 14-18, telling Winston that he has “duties to attend to.” He checks up car rental prices and picks out a nice minivan. He makes a few phone reservations and charms the ladies on the other line into giving him cute corner booths. 

Genji bursts into Jesse’s room at four a.m. on the 14th, yelling “Surprise!” in the most excited voice he can muster. Ignoring Jesse’s groaning that it is simultaneously too early and too late for any human to be conscious, Genji flashes two plane tickets before his boyfriend’s eyes and adds, “I am a cyborg, so I do not count.” 

It is only an hour later when they are on the way to the airport that Jesse thinks to ask Genji where they are headed to. Genji smirks underneath his faceplate and takes a swift left turn. His surprise would be terribly ruined if they are late. 

“Just as you did for me, I am taking you home.” 

 

They have a quick stopover in Newark Airport before touching down in New Mexico. Much as Genji would like a coffee they do not have time to take a rest, and he begins marching towards the gate for their transfer. Jesse is much more energized after passing out on the first flight, and keeps nudging Genji in the side to coax him into revealing what he has planned. Genji just slings an arm around Jesse’s waist and pulls him in closer. “Patience is a virtue,” he says.

Their plane touches down in Santa Fe Municipal Airport twelve hours after they left Gibraltar. The rental Range Rover that Genji checked out is waiting for them when they exit the airport, and they climb into it, Genji taking his place at the driver’s seat. He pushes the key into the car’s ignition and the engine revs up, making a whirring noise as the dashboards come to life. Jesse blinks. “Sure you’ve got the energy to drive? That was a helluva long flight—”

“Giddy up,” Genji responds, voice completely deadpan, though he struggles not to crack a smile underneath his faceplate. He pushes a button on his holo-phone to connect it to the speakers, and a soft refrain begins playing from them, one Jesse will recognize as being the first one they ever danced to in the peace of Genji’s room. A grin spreads across Jesse’s lips and he leans back against the car’s soft leather seat. Genji presses his foot onto the accelerator and they are off, the GPS leading them into the great unknown. 

A small, brown building greets them about half an hour or so later, with archways so low that Jesse needs to bend over to walk in through them. They step through the entrance to see a small, quaint cafe with steel tables and chairs, and a redwood countertop. Beside it is a glass shelf filled with rows and rows of chocolate. Truffles and mendiants and caramels with chilli sprinkled on top, in every shape and size and more that Genji had ever thought was possible. Jesse’s eyes widen. “What in tarnation?”

“This is only our first destination,” Genji says. He removes his faceplate, revealing the smug grin on his face. “Welcome to the New Mexico Chocolate Trail. I hope you are hungry after that long flight.”

Genji orders them two drinking chocolates, which, according to reviews at least, are the elixir of the gods. They take a seat in a quiet corner, ready to begin their culinary adventure of a lifetime. Jesse slips a hand under the table to take his. 

 

The drinks from the first place had been absolutely heavenly, and so were the truffles that they ordered right after. Genji had never thought that chilli on chocolate would taste good but he had thoroughly enjoyed the mild flavor of spice, or perhaps he had simply enjoyed Jesse scooping the truffles up from the plate and feeding them to him, one by one. They might have been in public, but Genji had relished the chance to lick Jesse’s fingers clean. Jesse’s soft moans tell him that he enjoys the chocolate-flavored kiss Genji gives him as soon as they return to the car. Genji gives it a 10/10 review as well.

Their next destination is Todos Santos, a tiny store hidden in a large courtyard with ivy growing up its walls; Jesse coos over the chocolate mushrooms and gobbles down at least five before Genji reminds him that they had more stops to go. They then head towards a higher-end, fancy store with pink furnishings that sells blue cheese chocolate. Genji takes one bite and pushes it away, scrunching up his nose and saying “disgusting”, but Jesse picks up Genji’s helping, chowing down every single bite. “I’m not kissing you after that,” Genji mutters, crossing his arms. Five sticks of gum later, Jesse manages to get Genji to relent, and they share a quick kiss strolling down the streets of Santa Fe. 

Green chili pistachio chocolate bark is next on their list of to-eats, which Genji wolfs down in a matter of seconds. They then drive towards a quiet, quaint store with lush chairs and tea, where they are served a box of chocolates each by a waitress with bright blue hair. They sip their tea slowly and chat while they eat, Jesse taking a bite out of every truffle while Genji leaves his box untouched. He had never thought he could get sick of chocolate, but he had never spent an entire day with only that for nourishment. Genji sighs contentedly, taking a sip of his peppermint tea. “Did I step up to the challenge?”

Jesse nods, and a half-smile tugs at his lips. “S’pose I can’t say no. You sure did a bang-up job.” There is a pause between them. Genji allows a warm sense of satisfaction to travel through his circuits, chalking the victory up in his mind. Maybe he’ll use that against Jesse later, when they’re in the quiet confinement of their hotel room. Jesse’s low rumble suddenly jolts him from his thoughts. “Hey, Genji?”

“Yes?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.” 

“What did you mean earlier, when you said that I ‘took you home’?” 

Genji stares into his empty cup. “The matcha from the chocolate you made me. It was from Japan,” he begins, though that statement isn’t completely accurate. He wouldn’t put it past Jesse to import authentic matcha for him, but that wasn’t what he’d really meant. Finally, he looks up, staring into Jesse’s brown eyes. “You. You are what makes me feel at home, always.”

The words hang in the air between them. Jesse reaches over across the table, lacing Genji’s metal fingers into his. 

“Same goes for you, Genji. Same goes.”

**Author's Note:**

> written for an overwatch valentine's friend exchange: happy valentine's day, min! i hope you like this as much as i enjoyed writing it. disclaimer, i hate white chocolate, and people like genji should not be trusted. 
> 
> special thanks to leon for helping me with the idea. 
> 
> btw the new mexico chocolate trail is a real thing brb moving there now. http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/new-mexico/chocolate-trail-nm/


End file.
